Turning Circular Quay into Circular Keys for ABC’s The Piano
Letting ordinary people shine with a moment you could step into
Client:
ABC
The brief
How do you bring a TV show about playing the piano to life in the heart of Sydney’s CBD during one of the world’s busiest cultural festivals? That was the challenge ABC set to promote The Piano, a moving series where everyday people reveal their extraordinary talent in public. The goal was to cut through the noise of Vivid and create a moment that embodied the show’s emotional soul – sparking curiosity, joy, and real-time connection.
Our curious spark
The ABC wanted something that lived the show’s ethos – ordinary people stepping into the spotlight to surprise and uplift those around them. Our spark came from a simple question: what if people could immerse themselves in the show? That idea became Circular Keys, a 15-metre, walkable light-up piano at Circular Quay, inviting the public to step into the world of The Piano and become performers themselves.
Why this campaign mattered
Rather than asking people to watch The Piano, we invited them to feel it. In the middle of one of Sydney’s loudest cultural moments, the activation created space for surprise, joy, and shared humanity.
Activating curiosity and creativity
Our curious crew at work
Rather than promoting The Piano, we lived it. Circular Keys wasn’t about telling people what the show was – it was about letting them experience how it feels.
Proof that curiosity pays off
High volume
More than 25,000 people engaged with the activation across the day
Social virality
1000+ organic shares across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Awareness lift
21% uplift in show awareness in the week following the event (ABC internal data)
Dwell time increase
Average dwell time of 6+ minutes, more than double the Vivid average (2-3 minutes)
Media coverage
Earned significant media coverage, extending reach
Lessons in curiosity
In an age of attention scarcity, Circular Keys cut through not by being the loudest, but by being unexpectedly human. By inviting people to step forward, participate, and perform – even just for a moment – the activation transformed a television show into a shared emotional experience.